The present invention relates to an electrical connector provided with a retainer.
One example of a connector provided with a retainer for retaining terminal fittings has the retainer attached from the anterior to a connector housing which houses terminal fittings, this retainer retaining the terminal fittings. This type of conventional connector provided with a retainer is described in JP 11-97098.
In this connector, wherein a front retainer is attached to the connector housing from the anterior, a cylindrical guiding member is formed on the retainer. This cylindrical guiding member fits with the exterior of the connector housing, thereby fixing the position of the retainer relative to the connector housing, and stabilising the retainer while it is being attached thereto.
However, stabilising the retainer or fixing its position have proved problematic in the case where a retainer is housed within the retainer attachment hole formed in an anterior face of the connector housing.
The present invention has taken the above problem into consideration and aims to stabilise and fix the position of this retainer in a connector to which a retainer is attached by being inserted into a retainer attachment hole that opens onto an anterior face of a connector housing.
According to the invention there is provided an electrical connector comprising a housing having a terminal fitting exposed at one side thereof for connection to a corresponding terminal of a mating connector, and a retainer insertable into a retainer attachment hole of said housing from said one side to retain said terminal fitting in said housing, characterised in that said retainer has a plate-like preventing member for retaining said terminal fitting, and a protruding guiding member, said guiding member being adapted to enter said attachment hole in advance of said preventing member to stabilise said retainer therein.
Since the guiding member enters the retainer attachment hole in advance of the preventing member, movement of the retainer is stabilised, and the retainer can move smoothly and easily.
In a preferred embodiment the preventing member is inserted between upper and lower terminal fittings so that a single preventing member can retain two such fittings.
Preferably a plurality of preventing members are arranged side by side for engagement with an upper and lower row of terminal fittings. In such an arrangement a guiding member is preferably provided at each end of the retainer. The guiding member preferably extends substantially at right angles to length of the retainer and in the insertion direction thereof.